Device for segregating selected cigarettes



Sept. 26, 1961 D. w. MOLINS ET AL DEVICE FOR SEGREGATING SELECTEDCIGARETTES Filed Feb. 23, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS :Desmeu u).Moh'di Gannon! 7*- bU-?ou) t [1 UJuTio-vv, M,

ham wqsw ATTORNEYS Sept. 26, 1961 D. w. MOLINS ET AL 3,001,648

DEVICE FOR SEGREGATING SELECTED CIGARETTES Filed Feb. 23, 1956 5Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Dssnonn \J. MOI-INS Gannon: Fw. Powsu.

ATTORNEYS Sept. 26, 1961 D. w. MOLINS ET AL DEVICE FOR SEGREGATINGSELECTED CIGARETTES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 23, 1956 Qwmnxh Ins:

INVENTOR .Dzsnmun \J Nouns 6 mm: Eu POWELL ATTORNE Y5 Patented Sept. 26,1961 3,001,648 DEVIUE FOR SEGREGATING SELECTED CIGARETTES Desmond WalterMullins and Gordon Francis Wellington Powell, Depfit'ord, London,England, assignors to Molius Machine Company Limited, London, England, aBritish company Filed Feb. 23, 1956, Ser. No. 567,369 Claims priority,application Great Britain Feb. 25, E55 3 Claims. (Cl. 209-81) Thisinvention concerns a device for segregating selected cigarettes (such ascigarettes of incorrect weight) from a quantity of cigarettes, forexample, from the output of a cigarette making machine.

It is known in the operation of continuous rod cigarette making machinesto use what are variously termed electrostatic, or high-frequency,detectors for the purpose of measuring the electrical characteristics ofthe cigarette rod or a stream of tobacco which eventually forms the rod,and rod measurements effected in this way have been used for the purposeof rejecting cigarettes made from defective portions of the rod. Theaforesaid detector has a pair of plates made of electrically conductivematerial through which the rod passes so that the three components formtogether a condenser. A somewhat similar arrangement is used in oneconstruction according to the present invention and for convenience ofdescription two plates such as those referred to will be termed acondenser pair.

It will be appreciated that such an electrostatic detector has a veryquick response, seeing that it is able to detect the condition of amoving cigarette rod and thereafter cause defective cigarettes cut fromthe rod to be segregated for, as will be understood by those skilled inthe art, the space and time available for detection and segregation areboth very small. An electrostatic detector is chiefly responsive to themoisture in the tobacco but it is assumed for the purposes of thepresent invention that this is constant (and under proper conditions itcan be kept reasonably constant) and thus the response can be regardedas showing the mass of the rod. It is however possible, with certainreservations, to secure a similarly rapid response from another knowndetector, namely, one using a source of penetrative radiation such as abeta-ray emitter. In either case the detector response depends on themass of the cigarette or sometimes, as will appear hereafter, on themass of part of a cigarette.

According to the invention there is provided a device for segregatingselected cigarettes from a quantity of cigarettes comprising a cigaretteconveyor, a detector responsive to the mass of a part at least of acigarette carried on said conveyor, means for feeding the saidcigarettes to the conveyor and means controlled by the detector forsegregating selected cigarettes from the quantity fed to said conveyor.

Further according to the invention there is provided a device forsegregating selected cigarettes from a quantity of cigarettes,comprising a cigarette conveyor, means for feeding cigarettes to theconveyor so that each successive cigarette passes between a source ofpenetrative radiation and a ray-responsive device to detect variationsin the mass of said cigarette from a given standard, and meanscontrolled by said ray-responsive device for segregating selectedcigarettes from the quantity fed to said conveyor.

The invention is primarily intended for use with a cigarette makingmachine and in this case the drum may be arranged near the positionwhere normally cigarettes are deflected, by a device known as adeflector, out of the rod line on to the catcher band. In this case thedeflector suitably modified is arranged to move a cigarette lateral- 1yfrom the rod line into a groove of the drum or into any intermediatedevice which will complete the movement of the cigarette to the groove.

The invention will be more fully described with reference to the use ofthe device in a continuous rod cigarette making machine and withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically the mechanical parts of a device for usewith an electrostatic measuring device;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of part of FIGURE 1 looking in thedirection of the arrow A;

FIGURE 3 is a view of part of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of thearrow B and partly in section on the line IIIIII;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevation of a cigarette drum and its mountingfor use with an electrostatic measuring device and drawn to scale;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the electrical apparatusfor use with apparatus constructed as in FIGURES l to 3;

FIGURE 7 shows diagrammatically the mechanical parts of a device for usewith a measuring device using a source of penetrative radiation and theelectrical apparatus thereof;

FIGURES 8 and 9 are diagrams of modified detector devices.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 to 3 the cigarettes C as they are cut fromthe rod are carried along a tape 1 and move in front of a reciprocatingpusher 2 which deflects them laterally with such speed that they canroll over a plate 3 and fall into one of the grooves 4 of a rotatabledrum 5 whose axis 6 is parallel to the rod line. The pusher 2 isoperated by a cam 7 and spring 8. If desired the plate 3 may slopedownwards to assist in the transfer of a cigarette into the groove or,according to the position' of the drum, an intermediate device of anysuitable kind may be provided to feed the cigarette into a groove. Thedrum 5 continuously rotates in timed relationship with the cigarettemachine, moving at a rate equal to one groove per cigarette or, as willmost usually be the case, two drums are provided each moving at a rateequal to one groove per two cigarettes produced. The drums will in suchcase both rotate on the axis 6 and the arrangements for the second drumwill be identical with those of the one shown except that the pusher 2of the second drum will be timed to engage the succeeding cigarette tothe one shown on the tape 1. The grooves of the drum are spaced fairlywidely apart, for example, there may be as shown, eight grooves on thedrum. Each groove 4 is formed in a block 9 of metal and forms one plateof a condenser, the block being held in a pair of insulating supports 10fixed to the drum periphery. Further details of the construction andmounting of the blocks 9 and supports 10 are shown and described laterwith reference to FIGURES 4 and 5. The cigarette lies in the groove ofthe block 9 and as the drum moves onwards from the cigarette receivingposition, the cigarette is carried upwards to the top position of thedrum and beneath another plate 11 which is fixed. Thus for an instantthere is formed a condenser consisting of one moving and one fixed platewith a dielectric between chiefly consisting of the cigarette to betested.

As hereafter explained with reference to FIGURE 6 the condenser formedby a block 9 and the fixed plate 11 is connected to an oscillatorcoupled to an amplifier and other electrical apparatus, and causes asignal of a certain amplitude, which is compared in said apparatus witha signal whose amplitude is of a predetermined value equivalent to thatproduced by the condenser for a cigarette of correct weight. Thus if anincorrect cigarette forms the condenser dielectric at any time the saidapparatus will have an output which if suflicient, that is, if thecigarette is too light ortoo heavy by a reasonable amount,'will .closethe contacts of .a relay. Closure of the relay .c'cntacts'will close acircuit to a solenoid '12 whose plunger 13 moves to the right in FIGURE3 as the plunger 13 is magnetized by the solenoid current it inductivelymagnetizes and attracts and moves a soft iron piston 14, FIGURE 1, whichconstitutes a valve piece as will now be explained.

The piston 14 is one of eight slidable in valve bodies 15 formed in thebody of a rotary suction device 16 having a cylindrical body or hub fromwhich radial suction nozzles 18, equally spaced and equal in number tothe flutes in the drum 5, project. The inner end of each valve body isopen. As the aforesaid piston 14 moves past the solenoid plunger thelatter will pull it out as far as a stop screw 17 will permit. As can beseen from FIGURE 3 if a piston 14 is moved in this manner the interiorof the body of the device 16 will be in communication with a suctionnozzle 18 through a port 19. The interior of the body of the device 16is connected by a pipe 20 to a fan or pump 21' whose rotation tends toexhaust the interior of the wheel. Thus as the suction nozzle marked 18Ain FIGURE 1 moves round with the device 16 it will, if its piston 14 hasbeen moved as above described, pull the cigarette out of the groove inthe block marked 9 and carry it around as it adheres to the nozzle bysuction. A cigarette seized in this manner'is shown adhering to thesuction nozzle preceding the one marked 18A in FIG- URE 1. V

The rotary suction device is supported in bearings 22 and driven at thesame speed as the fluted drum 5 and in timed relationship therewith sothat each suction nozzle moves round for a time near a flute in the drum5 and is thereby enabled to seize a cigarette if the solenoid hasoperated, that is, the seized cigarette has been detected as being ofincorrect weight.

A cigarette seized in this manner is segregated from correct cigarettesby being released from the suction nozzle, as explained below, as thelatter approaches a tape conveyor ZB moving at right angles to the planeof the paper which conveyor delivers the cigarette to a receptacle, notshown.

Cigarettes whose weight is correct are not seized in this manner andfall from the flutes 4 over a guide 24 on to a conveyor 25, the usualcatcher band of a cigarette machine.

In order that a cigarette seized by a suction nozzle shall be releasedtherefrom the aforesaid piston 14 is moved back to valve closingposition as the nozzle is approaching the co'nveyor23. The movement iseffected by a cam lever 26 loosely connected to the rod of a hammer 35whose end is caused to strike the piston smartly and return it almostinstantaneously. The rod of the hammer slides in a lug 36 of one bearing22. The cam lever is pivoted at 27 and operated by a cam 28 engaging aroller 29 on the lever and by a spring 30. The cam 28 is driven at therate of one revolution per flute of drum 5 by a spindle 31 driven bymitre gear wheels 32 from the shaft 33 of cam 7, as cam 7 rotates at therequired rate. r The solenoid plunger 13 is moved back, as the coil isale-energised, by a spring 34, FIGURE 3.

Electrical apparatus for use with the devices described with referenceto FIGURES 1 to 3 is shown'in the block diagram of FIGURE 6 andconnecting leads from FIG- URES 1 and 3'are also indicated in FIGURE 6.All the items indicated in FIGURE 6 by blocks are of well known kinds. Acopper block 37 in FIGURE 1 is capacitively coupled to each block 0 inturn as the fluted drum rotates and a lead 38 from the block and a'lead39 from the 4. FIGURE 6 which close at times as controlled by theapparatus shown in FIGURE 6 as will now be explained:

Referring now to FIGURE 6 the output of a standard sinewave oscillatorgenerating, say, 130 megacycles per second and providing a carrier waveis passed to a modulator 101 operating at from 10 to 15 kilocycles persecond and the composite signal (chosen as 130 megacycles per second and'10 kilocycles' per second) is applied to the cigarette C'through thecondenser plates 9 and 11, the plate 9 being coupled to the fixed block37 by capacity as above mentioned. Amplitude modulation is used and thedevice 101 is a well-known type of amplitude modulator. The cigarette Cconstitutes a variable coupling in the detector device 9-11 and with allthe cigarettes at constant moisture content, the voltage developed in adetector unit 102 depends on the weight of the cigarette which is atthat moment between the condenser plates. The detector unit includes anamplitude modulation detector, that is, apparatus comprising any normalmeans of filtering out'thecarrier wave arranged to remove the 130megacycles per second component from the composite signal and the 10kilocycles per second component passes out of the detector unit with acertain amplitude. This is compared in a difference unit 103 forexample, a differential transformer, with a standard 10 kilocycles-persecond signal fed direct from the modulator 101 along line: 104. Sinceany phase shiftat the detector position occurs at 130 megacycles persecond, this shift will be insignificant on the separated signal of 10kilocycles per second and therefore no phase compensation is necessary.The difierence unit detects differences in amplitude between thereference signal and the signal due to mass of the cigarette at thetesting position. The latter signal will vary according to variations incigarette mass giving rise to amplitude variation at the test positionof the composite wave and the 10 kilocycles per sec ond wave left afterthe composite signal has been fed into the detector unit 102 hasamplitude variations proportional to those in the composite wave. If thecigarette is correct, the amplitude of the signal coming from thedetector unit 102 will be the same as that of the standard signal alongline 104. In such a case the difierence unit will give zero output. Ifhowever the cigarette weight is not correct there will be a definiteoutput from the detector unit. As incorrect cigarettes are to besegregated it is immaterial whether said output is in response to anunderweight or overweight cigarette.

The signal is amplified and rectified in a combined amplifier-rectifierunit 105 to secure a DC. output, the amplifier being a current or poweramplifier. A switching device 106, that is, a brush engaging a rotatingcontact disc, is provided to ensure that the output is only available atthe time when the cigarette is in the correct position for detection.The disc rotates at the rate of one revolution per test and has a singlecontact. Any detector signal of 'suflicient magnitude coming from theapparatus is passed toa high speed relay 107. This is an ordinarymagnetic relay having contacts operated by movement of the magnetarmature; The contacts of this relay are diagrammatically shown at 108.If the contacts 108 of this relay close, the solenoid 12, FIGURE 3, isenergised by the battery 109 and. rejection of an incorrect cigarettetakes place as previously explained with reference to FIGURES 1 to 3.

As previously mentioned FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic showing and correctmechanical details of the fluted drum are shown to scale in FIGURES 4and 5. The drum 5 is fixed to the rotatable shaft 6 which is supportedin a square conductive bush 110 fixed in a support plate 111. On thebush is fixed a bracket 112 at the top of which is fixed an insulatingblock 113 in which the bar 37 is mounted.

Connection to the bar 37 is by the cable 38. The grooved block 9 issupported in the insulating supports 10 which are fixed in groovesformed in the rim of the drum 5, and the bar 87 and block 59 arecapacitively coupled as the fluted drum rotates in the manner describedwith reference to FIGURE 1. p

The upper condenser plate 11 is supported by an insulating bracket 114and connection is made to the plate 11 by the cable 39.

It will be understood that as the electrical apparatus for use with theconstructions so far described involves very high frequencies that thevarious electrical elements shown in FIGURES 1, 4 and are properlyconstructed, arranged and connected in accordance with the practice inthese high frequencies.

Apparatus for detecting cigarettes by means of a source of penetrativeradiation such as a beta-ray device is shown in FIGURE 7. In this casethe cigarettes C are fed to a rotatable drum 120 having a flange 121 atthe far end in the figure, the near end being open. It is necessary forsuccessful detection that the cigarettes should be in a definitely fixedposition relatively to the beta-ray device and to secure this thecigarettes are held in slots 122 in the drum periphery and are lightlypressed into said slots. Cigarettes are fed radially to the drum by apusher 123 as in the previous case but the pusher has a resilient end'124 and exerts a slight yielding pressure on a cigarette as it enters adrum slot. An arcuate guide 125 made of springy material retains thecigarettes in the slots and presses lightly on them to ensure that theyare correctly positioned as they approach the scanning position. Abeta-ray source 126 is fixed in the position shown and above thecigarette being scanned is an ionisation chamber 127. This is filledwith a mixture of argon and carbon di-oxide. The guard ring 127A of thechamber is grounded as shown and a high voltage negative potential isapplied to the outer member of the chamber 127. Current due toionisation flows in a resistor 128 and causes a voltage to be applied tothe input terminal 129 of an amplifier 130. An amplified version of thisvoltage appears at the output terminal 131. A large fraction of theoutput voltage is taken off a potential divider 132 and applied asdegenerative feedback to the lower end of 128 so that with the gasfilled ionisation chamber and a short input circuit time constantconsequent on the large feedback, the rapid response enables the pulseheight at the output 131 to be proportional to the weight of theindividual cigarettes passing through the scanning position as the drumrevolves.

A potential divider 133 allows a reference voltage to be selected and arectifier 134 and high speed relay 135 are arranged so that when a pulseheight at 131 exceeds that of the reference voltage at 133 the relayoperates. Suitable power supplies are provided in the usual manner andare normally housed with the amplifier 130.

Operation of the relay 135 causes a solenoid 136 to be operated and aselected cigarette is segregated in the following manner.

As a cigarette moves away from the scanning position the ionisationcurrent will speedily die down so the solenoid 136 has to be energisedat the time an unsatisfactory cigarette is detected at the scanningposition. Such cigarette must be ejected before the drum 120 has moved acomplete slot pitch so ejection is effected by a reciprocating bar 137at the position shown. The solenoid is therefore provided with a hold oncontact device so as to be energised at the time when the slot carryingthe defective cigarette is at the ejecting position.

The bar 137 is guided in a guide 138 fixed to a stationary shaft 139 onwhich the drum 120 revolves and is reciprocated by a cam rod 142operated by a spring 149 and a cam 141. The cam is driven at the rate ofone revolution per drum slot, and the working stroke of the bar iscaused by the spring 140. The solenoid has a plunger 146 the end ofwhich can move past a stop 143 on the cam rod. As long as satisfactorycigarettes appear at the scanning position the plunger end is as shownand the cam follower 144 on the rod 142 cannot follow the contour of thecam so the bar 137 is stationary. When an incorrect cigarette appears atthe scanner the contacts of relay close and current is fed from abattery 145 to the coil of 136. The plunger is retracted and in duecourse the depression shown in the cam reaches the cam follower and thebar 137 makes a very quick ejecting stroke. The solenoid 136 is firstenergised as above remarked through the contacts of relay 135 andbattery 145 and as soon as the coil is energised, it pulls down a springcontact arm 147 and connects it to another contact 148 leading to thebattery, so the coil 136 remains energised although the cigarette thathas been scanned is moving away from the scanning position. As soon asthe ejector has made its stroke the follower 144 moves on to the outerpart of the cam periphery and the stop 143 is then again as shown on thedrawing and the end of the plunger 146 can move back again to theposition shown as soon as current is cut oil from the coil 136. This iseffected by a pin 149 at the back of the cam 141 which opens normallyclosed contacts at 159. The solenoid plunger moves out again underpressure of a spring 151 and remains in that position preventingoperation of the cam rod 142 until another defective cigarette isdetected.

Cigarettes ejected by the rod 137 are attracted by a suction drum 152and deposited on to a conveyor 153. Satisfactory cigarettes move on pastthe ejector position and are blown out of the slots by a blower 154 andfall on to a conveyor 155.

This beta-ray apparatus is responsive only to cigarettes lighter thanthe desired weight, the drum material between successive cigarettesbeing heavy relatively to a cigarette, that is, it otters a resistanceto the passage of the rays considerably greater than that of a heavycigarette. Thus the lighter a scanned cigarette is the higher will bethe corresponding pulse of ionisation current. Machines to which theequipment is to be fitted would in the normal way have some sort ofdevice for keeping the weights relatively constant and it is veryimportant from the sales point of view that light cigarettes should besegregated so the loss due to the passage of heavy cigarettes is notover important.

Hitherto the description has referred to the segregation of selectedcigarettes and further explanation of the word selected is required. Insome cases segregated cigarettes are those whose mass is above or belowrequirements. But it will be appreciated that a cigarette might have thenecessary mass but have, for instance, one part overweight and the otherpart underweight. In order to meet this contingency the condenser platesof the electrostatic apparatus may be arranged as two pairs of platesseparated at their mid-length as shown in FIGURE 8. In this figure thedrum is marked 160, the top condenser plates 161 and the lower plates162. The distance between each pair of plates may be greater or lessdepending on whether it is desirable to detect only the extreme ends ora greater proportion of a half length and depending also on theapparatus employed for one condenser must not interfere with the other.In this case the detector devices detect each half and cause thosecigarettes having an imperfect half-length to be segregated.

In a similar manner half-lengths can be detected by a beta-ray device asshown in FIGURE 9 where the two scanners are separated by screens 163and 164.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. A device for segregating cigarettes of incorrect weight from aquantity of cigarettes, composed of correct and incorrect wei htcigarettes, comprising a cigarette conveyor including a rotatable drumhaving a number of flutes parallel to its axis spaced around itsperiphery whereby cigarettes located one in each flute are conveyedlaterally with respect to their length in positively spacedrelationship, each flute of the drum comprising a metal flute plateagainst which a cigarette can lie, and a fixed metal plate mounted in aposition such that each successive flute plate passes the fixed plateand forms therewith at the said position a pair of condenser platesconstituting a detector, and means for feeding a cigarette to each ofthe flutes of the drum so that the cigarette constitutes at least themajor part of the condenser dielectric when passing the fixed plate, afirst conductor connected to a flute plate at the detecting position anda second conductor connected to the fixed plate, a high-frequencygenerator connected to said first conductor and a detecting systemconnected to said second conductor, whereby the capacity of saidcondenser having at least part of a cigarette between the plates causesa signal whose amplitude is compared in the detecting system with asignal having an amplitude equivalent to that which would have beenproduced by a correct cigarette positioned between the plates and meansforsegregating cigarettes of incorrect weight, said means operating inresponse to an output from the detecting system resulting from apredetermined difference between the compared signals.

2, A device for segregating cigarettes of incorrect weight from aquantity of cigarettes, composed of correct and incorrect weightcigarettes, comprising a cigarette conveyor including a rotatable drumhaving a number of flutes parallel to its axis spaced around itsperiphery, whereby cigarettes located one in each flute are conveyedlaterally with respect to their length in positively spacedrelationship, each flute of the drum comprising a metal flute plateagainst which a cigarettecan lie, and a fixed metal plate mounted in adetecting position such that each successive flute plate passes thefixed plate and forms therewith at the said position a pair of condenserplates, and means for feeding a cigarette to eachv of the flutes of thedrum so that the cigarette defines at least the major part of thecondenser dielectric when passing the fixed plate, a first conductorconnected to a flute plate at the detecting position and a secondconductor connected to theifixed plate, a high-frequency generatorconnected to said first conductor and a detecting system connected tosaid second conductor, whereby the capacity of the condenser having themass of at least part of a cigarette between the plates causes a signalwhose amplitude is comparedin the detecting system with a signal havingan amplitude equivalent to that which would 7 have been produced by acorrect cigarette positioned between the plates, means for segregatingcigarettes of incorrect weight from the quantity fed to said conveyor,said means operating in response to an output from the detecting systemresulting from. a predetermined 'difierence between the compared signalsand comprising a rotary suction device having suction nozzles each ofwhich is adapted to be rendered active by said detecting system andremove a cigarette of incorrect weightfrom its flute, and means forrendering a nozzle active as it approaches a flute containing acigarette selected for segregation.

3. Adevice for-segregating cigarettes of incorrect weight from aquantity of ,cigarettes composed of correct and incorrect weightcigarettes, comprising a cigarette conveyor which conveys cigaretteslaterally with respect to their length and in positively spacedrelationship, a plurality of plates of electrically conductive ma terialspaced apart and movable therewith, a fixed plate ofsaid materialmounted in a position such that each successive moving plate passes thefixed plate and forms a condenser therewith, and means for feedingcigarettes to the conveyor, wherein each successive cigarette lies neareach successive moving plate and in a position to constitute at leastthe major part ofthe condenser dielectric when passing the fixed plate,a first conductor connected to a moving plate at the detecting positionand a second conductor connected to the fixed plate, a high-frequencygenerator connected to said conductor, and a detecting system connectedto said second conductor, whereby the capacity of the condenser havingat least part of a cigarette between the plates causes a signal whoseamplitude is compared in the detecting system with a signal having anamplitude equivalent to that which would have been produced by a correctcigarette positioned between the plates and means for segregatingcigarettes of incorrect.

weight from the quantity fed to said conveyor, 'said means operating inresponse to an output from the detecting system resulting from apredetermined difierence between thecompared signals.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,846,808 Holm et al. Feb. 23, 1932 2,237,254 Broekhuysen Apr. 1, 19412,357,860 Whitaker Sept. 12, 1944 2,694,310 Pounds Nov. 16, 19542,704,079 Molins et al. Mar. 15, 1955 2,729,214 Broekhuysen et a1; Jan.3, 1956 .2,732,503 Jacobs Jan. 24, 1956 2 ,737,186 Molins et a1. Mar. 6,1956 2,742,150 Rendel Apr. 17, 1956 2,757,675 Powell Aug. 7, 19562,759,108 Molins Aug. 14, 1956 2,861,683 Gilman Nov. 25, 1958 FOREIGNPATENTS 528,014 Great'Britain Oct. 21, 1940 699,129 Great Britain Oct.23, 1953 741,932 Great Britain Dec. 14, 1955 942.164, France Sept. 13,1948

